Conventional cleaning compositions, such as floor cleaning compositions, typically function by emulsifying contaminants, like oil and grease, when such cleaning compositions come in contact with the contaminants. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for the resulting contaminant comprising emulsion to be discharged to a waste line in, for example, a factory or plant.
In an attempt to be more environmentally conscious, operators of many factories and plants have been treating contaminant comprising emulsions with expensive (and sometimes hazardous) waste treatment chemicals (e.g., deemulsifiers). These waste treatment chemicals, once added to the contaminant comprising emulsion, cause the contaminant to drop out of the emulsion, so that the oil or grease comprising contaminant may be removed (e.g., by skimming or filtering) before the cleaning composition is discharged to waste.
It is of increasing interest, however, to prepare a cleaning composition that does not have to be treated with waste treatment chemicals in order to separate oils and/or greases that have been emulsified in the cleaning composition. This invention, therefore, is directed to a superior cleaning composition that forms emulsions with oil, grease and other non-water soluble waste (contaminants) wherein the waste drops out of the emulsion in the absence of waste treatment chemicals.